The Pen Is Mightier
by BeautyAndStrength
Summary: This is the tale of a young dwarf scribe named Ori and his trusted weapon; his slingshot. See where he got it, how he learned to wield it and the role it played in the quest to reclaim Erebor. But more importantly, see how he used it to not only help his friends but to change the future of Durin's people forever. Book/movie verse.
1. Prologue

**Prologue.**

It was a toy.

It was just a silly children's toy. Little boys played with it and used it to fire stones at birds when they annoyed them. Young dwarrows used it to shoot squirrels and rodents off railings for fun. It was used for play and mischief, not warfare. Not fighting.

That's all it was; a toy. No, not even that. It was neither a toy nor a weapon. It was a toy that wanted to be a weapon or maybe a weapon that was just a toy. Or both.

It was insignificant, ineffective. What good would it do?

Could he really slay giants with it, like _he _had told him he could? Did _he_ really believe that it could do any good his hands? Did _he _really have that much faith in it; that much faith in him?

Of all the weapons _he _could have given him, why this? It was not a sword, or a knife, or an axe, a hammer or bow. It could not fire arrows, just stones. It was not sharp or made of steel or iron. It was an elastic string attached to a y-shaped stick. It was no weapon; it was just a slingshot. It was not made for battle.

And neither was he.

Why was he even here? He was a child! He knew that's what everyone was thinking. He was the youngest and the most inexperienced of the dwarves. He was not a warrior, he was a scribe. He had never seen war. He had never even wielded a weapon or taken a life.

The only weapon he ever held was his quill. The only arrows he ever fired were the words he had written down on faded pieces of parchment. The only lives he ever took were those of the characters he wrote about in his stories.

All make-believe; fairy tales made up in his head. None of it was real!

But this was!

Why was he here? Why did he come? Was it to prove to his brothers and kin that he was capable of doing it? Was it to prove that he was not a weakling and could fend for himself? Or was he trying to prove it to his own self doubt? Because honestly he wasn't even sure whether he was capable enough for this; he didn't realize what he had gotten himself into.

Yes, he was brave enough to jump up in front of the others at Bag-end and shout about how he wasn't afraid to face the dragon, declaring it in a big, bold voice. But what was that? Just a mask to hide how scared he really was and make him seem braver than he really felt.

Even the other young dwarves in the company who were around his age were more capable than he; because they had training. They knew how to wield a blade or use a bow and arrow; they knew how to fight. He did not!

He was small and scrawny; barely a dwarf, to be honest. He was not built like a warrior. He was not big and strong like some of the others were. He had no prowess in battle, no experience. He was as naive and incapable as the hobbit was, or at least appeared to be.

Now, he was most likely going to die trying to reclaim a home he had never seen; never knew. And he was most likely going to die because he was incapable of fighting for it.

He knew that the rest of the company liked him and that they wanted him to be safe. But he also knew that their confidence in his abilities and usefulness on the quest was not very high.

_"He's just a boy."_ He could almost hear them thinking. _"Just a foolishly brave boy with his silly toy." _

But, it wasn't just a silly toy; not to him. It was so much more than that, and it meant so much more. Why? Because _he _had given it to him. _He, _of all people; h_e, _the most powerful and respected dwarf among them, gave him this silly toy. Because _he _saw it as a weapon and trusted him with it; because _he _cared for him enough and valued his life so much that he wanted him to have a chance to defend himself.

Because _he _had faith in him.

And because of that, this toy, this slingshot, meant more to him than any weapon he would ever hold! Because of who had given it to him, where it came from and what it represented, he would always wield it, as insignificant as it seemed.

But, could he and this slingshot really make a difference on this quest? Could he really save lives and defeat monsters with it?

Could he, the youngest, smallest and most inexperienced dwarf of them all, become a _hero_?


	2. The Slingshot

**-The Slingshot-**

_April 31st, year 2941_

_It's been nearly three days since we left the Shire and this is the third entry in my travel journal. It's not really my job to keep a journal of this quest but I figured someone should do it and it doesn't seem as though anyone else is. Besides, it relaxes me._

_So far the journey has been uneventful. We just left Bree the other day and are on our way east towards the Misty Mountains with Thorin in the lead. He is a wonderful leader! He is always so confident and sure of what he is doing, unlike myself. Of course, he does have a tendency to bicker with Gandalf about which way to go and stuff like that. I like Gandalf, he is a nice fellow; a bit strange, but nice._

_The weather has been holding up quite nicely. Although, it looks like it might rain later. Dori's not going to like that. He hates the rain. He hates getting wet in general; it always makes him grouchy. Nori doesn't mind it. In fact I think he likes it. And so do I._

_Right now, the company has stopped to make camp. Bofur and Dwalin have gone out to collect firewood while everyone else is resting after unpacking the ponies. I don't think Mr. Dwalin likes Bofur very much because he's always frowning at him. I mean more than he usually frowns at people. I don't know why. I like Bofur. He's very much like Gandalf; strange but nice and very friendly. He even let me wear his hat once. So far everyone has been nice, even Bifur. I'm not entirely sure about Mr. Dwalin though. Then again, it's kind of hard to tell with him anyway._

_Well, that's enough for now. Tomorrow we continue our journey East towards Erebor. I hope and pray that the quest will succeed._

_-Ori of Durin's Folk_

* * *

"Ori."

Ori started when he heard a deep, baritone voice speak his name. He had been so absorbed in writing in his journal that he didn't notice the pair of heavily booted feet that suddenly appeared standing right in front of him until the person addressed him suddenly but with a soft tone.

He looked up and his brown eyes met the icy blue gaze of Thorin who was looking down at him with a stoic expression on his face. For a moment Ori remained where he was completely frozen, his eyes wide as he sat there awestruck at the sight of the kingly dwarf before him. He was so struck that he couldn't speak for a moment, engulfing them both in silence.

Thorin's face softened a bit when he saw the stunned look on Ori's face. "Do you have a moment?" He asked. "I wish to speak with you."

By this time Ori had gotten over his initial shock of having Thorin speaking to him and frantically stood up. "Oh, uh yes, of course!" He stammered nervously. He looked down and realized that he still had his journal in his hands. He looked around quickly for a moment before placing the journal into his pack which was leaning against the tree he had been sitting under. He started to hastily brush the dirt off of his clothes (as a way to make himself more presentably to Thorin) and waited for Thorin to start speaking. Instead, Thorin simply made a motion with his head, indicating that he wanted Ori to follow him. Ori tilted his own head but nevertheless trotted off to follow Thorin.

His heart was pounding with awe and fear within his chest as he walked next to Thorin, increasing his speed every once in a while to try and keep up with the older dwarf's long, steady strides. What could Thorin possibly want to talk to him about? Ori didn't even think that Thorin would notice him at all on this quest let alone talk to him since he is so small and insignificant compared to some of the other dwarves. So what was he going to say? Was he going to tell him that he was unfit to be here and go home? Ori did not know. But he would soon find out in a second.

Finally, Thorin stopped in front of a large boulder that stood a good ten feet from where the company had set up camp. He turned and looked at the young dwarrow, his eyes scanning him studiously. "Well." He said after a while. "You're probably wondering why I called you over here." Ori nodded, gulping slightly in the process. "You don't need to be nervous Ori." Thorin replied softly. "I simply want to know why you are here. Why did you come on this quest?"

Ori felt his heart rate increase. How was he supposed to answer this? "Uh, well..."

Thorin gave him a small smile. "It's not a deep question, Ori."

"Uh well, sir..." Ori started.

"Thorin is fine." Thorin replied. "Let's just be casual."

"Well, sir...I mean Thorin." Ori began. "My brother Dori and I weren't really planning on coming at all. The only reason why we did was because my other brother Nori had come against Dori's wishes. Dori followed him to take him back home, dragging me along with him. He doesn't like leaving me alone, you know." Thorin nodded, listening intently to Ori's tale. "That's all we were doing. But Nori wouldn't go home and after listening to what this quest was about, Dori thought it would be a good idea for all of us to come so that he could look after me and Nori."

Thorin nodded again. "Sounds like Dori forced you to come. Do you not want to be here?"

Ori's face was burning at being put on the spot like this. But he tried to keep as well hidden as he could. "No. No, I do want to be here. I want to be a part of this quest." Ori took a deep breath and straightened up to appear more confident. "I meant what I said back at Bag-end; I will take on Smaug by myself if I have to in order to see this quest fulfilled."

Thorin smirked at Ori's outrageous sounding claim. "And why is that?"

Ori's posture slumped a bit as he took a moment to contemplate Thorin's question. Why indeed? "Because..." Ori said, amazed at how calm he had suddenly become. "...because you are my kin and I want to help, even if only a little."

Thorin tilted his head slightly, gazing at the young dwarf with fondness glowing in his deep blue eyes. He reached forward and gently placed his hand on Ori's shoulder, sending tingles through his frame. "You're a good boy, Ori." Thorin said. "It's an honor to have you with us."

Ori felt a strong feeling of warm pride spread through his chest at hearing Thorin say those words to him. He had always felt unsure about whether or not he was worthy of being here and to hear Thorin their leader, the future king of Erebor, tell him that he appreciates having him in the company was the greatest thing that could happen to him. He hardly could contain his excited smile.

"I have one more question." Thorin said. "What weapons do you have with you?"

Well, that question was enough to send Ori crashing down from cloud 9. His smile faded and his eyes fell to the ground, ashamed of the truth he was about to admit. "I don't have any." He answered. "No real ones anyway; all I have is my knife." He pulled out the small knife that was tucked into his belt. It was small, probably about four inches long.

Thorin looked down at it then back up at Ori. "Have you ever used a real weapon before?"

Ori shook his head. "Dori doesn't like the idea of me handling weapons at all, especially the sharp ones. He thinks I'll hurt myself."

"I know." Thorin replied, causing Ori to tilt his head curiously. "I already spoke to him. He seems very hesitant about letting you use a weapon. However, if you're going to come on this quest and help us defeat Smaug, you're going to have to have some way to defend yourself. Thankfully, despite Dori's disinclination about letting you use a weapon, him and I were able to work out a somewhat shaky compromise. And that's the other reason why I wanted to speak with you; I have something to give you."

Ori tilted his head again and watched as Thorin reached into his belt and pulled something out, presenting it to him with both hands. It was a slingshot, made out of smooth, polished wood with diamond-like designs carved into the bottom half of the handle. Ori looked down at it in curiosity as he gently took it from Thorin.

"A slingshot?" He asked.

"I admit, it may not be the most effective weapon." Thorin said. "And in some circumstances it's not. But until we can convince Dori to let you use a proper weapon, that's the best option we have right now since you need something to defend yourself with in the meantime. It works best for long range fighting and I don't think you'll have to worry too much about close range since Dori will probably be doing most of your fighting for you." Ori rolled his eyes at how true that statement was. "Besides, you never know what you can do with any weapon, no matter how insignificant it may be. I've heard stories about boys slaying giants with nothing but slingshots. So don't be too quick to dismiss the possibilities."

Ori nodded then gave him a confused frown. "Why do you have a slingshot with you?" He asked bluntly.

Thorin smiled. "I got it from my cousin Dain when I was about your age; back when I had more vigor. I was quite good with it. Everyone always said it was a 'lucky slingshot', but I never believed in luck. Still, I always carry it with me just in case."

Ori immediately felt a pang of guilt. "Th-Thorin, I can't." He said, trying to give the slingshot back to him.

Thorin stopped him. "Take it, Ori. You need it more than I do, just until you're allowed to use a real weapon. Understood?"

Ori nodded. "Thank you." He said. Thorin nodded then patted Ori on the shoulder before turning to leave. Ori looked down at the slingshot which he had clasped firmly in both hands and suddenly he felt a sting of panic. "Thorin! Thorin, wait!" He called.

Thorin stopped and turned to face him. "Yes, what is it?" He inquired.

"There's, um...there's a problem." He said, embarrassed by what he was about to confess. "I, uh...I don't know...how..."

Thorin raised his eyebrows. "You don't know how to fire a slingshot?" He asked. Ori shook his head sheepishly. "Didn't you ever play with one when you were younger?"

Ori shook his head again. "Dori wouldn't let me. He thought I'd hurt myself with that too."

Thorin gave Ori a look that was a cross between surprise and pity. "Really?" He asked. Ori nodded. "Well, I always knew Dori was strict but I didn't know he was _that _strict."

"Dori is a fussy old git!" Ori replied. "You have no idea!" He immediately clapped his hand over his mouth. "Don't tell him I said that please."

"Not a word." Thorin replied before letting out a sigh. "Well, we can't have that, can we? No use giving you a weapon that you don't know how to use. Come with me."

"What?" Ori asked confused.

"Come with me." Thorin repeated. "I'm going to teach you how to fire a slingshot. We have to start now before the sun sets. Come."

Ori frowned in confusion and surprise but nevertheless hastened to catch up with Thorin.

* * *

Thorin led Ori out a little farther into the wooded area that surrounded the campsite. On the way out, they grabbed five metal cups that the company used for drinking. After a minute of walking they came upon a large overturned tree laying flat on the forest floor. Thorin then started lining the cups side by side about an inch apart along the top of it. He walked over to Ori and gently took the slingshot from him. The two of them backed up until they were about ten feet from the tree.

"Hold these." Thorin told Ori, handing him the handful of stones he had pick up along the way. Ori obeyed and Thorin took one of the stones, placed it in the slingshot and pulled the string back, aiming it carefully before releasing it and sending it flying through the air with a frightening speed, hitting one of the metal cups and knocking it off the fallen tree with a loud clang.

"Nice shot!" Ori exclaimed.

Thorin shrugged. "I told you I was good with these when I was younger. However I haven't used one in a while so I've gotten a bit rusty with it."

Ori shook his head slightly and watched as Thorin fired more stones and hit each of the cups off of the fallen tree one by one, only missing a few times. Afterwards, he walked over and collected all the cups (thankfully they were sturdy and didn't dent), setting them up in the same fashion as before. He walked back and handed the slingshot to Ori.

"Now you try." He said.

Ori hesitated but nevertheless took the slingshot as Thorin moved to stand next to him on his right. He helped him load it and Ori nervously pulled the string back and shakily tried to aim at the first cup.

"Relax Ori, and lift your elbows more." Thorin said calmly as he gently lifted Ori's elbows up a bit. "Use the center of the Y as your aim."

Ori held his aim for a little bit. But the more he held it, the shakier and more nervous he got. "I can't!" He said, suddenly lowering the slingshot.

"Yes you can." Thorin said patiently. "You need to have more faith in yourself Ori. You've got what it takes; you just need to practice and have patience. Now, give it a try."

Ori looked at him for a moment then nodded, lifting the slingshot to try again. He held his aim for a moment. However, his nerves got the better of him and he released too soon. The stone didn't hit the cup but the side of the fallen tree right below it.

"Look out!" Thorin shouted, both of them ducking when the stone bounced off of a tree branch and came flying at them, just missing their heads by an inch. Ori stood up feeling mortified and looked at Thorin, expecting him to be angry at him for nearly taking their heads off. But instead Ori was met with a very different and surprising sight.

_Thorin was laughing._

Ori stood there stunned. He'd hardly ever seen Thorin really smile let alone heard him laugh. It was a rare, and as Ori could clearly see now, a wonderful thing. Thorin's laugh was deep and warm, echoing through the trees and passing through Ori's being like a merry song. It was contagious; all of it. His laugh, his bright white smile and the glimmer of mirth in his striking blue eyes was more than enough to draw a smile out of the young dwarf and cause his self doubt to fade a little.

"Well..." Thorin said after his laughter had died down, although traces of it still lingered on his features. "...anyone who says that slingshots aren't deadly weapons had better not _ever _cross your path."

"Thorin, I'm sorry." Ori said.

Thorin simply smile and placed his hand on Ori's shoulder. "Don't apologize, Ori. Everyone has mishaps and I don't expect you to get it right the first try; that's what practice is for. Now, let's try it again, shall we?"

Ori nodded then readied himself to fire the slingshot again. He pulled the string back, aiming it as carefully as he could this time before releasing it. The stone didn't hit the first cup, but it came really close to it.

"That was better." Thorin said. "However, you keep releasing it too soon. Take your time. Of course, in a real fight, time is not something you usually have a lot of, but let's just work on it for now."

Ori nodded then readied the slingshot once again, pulling it back and aiming it at that first cup which seemed to be alluding him.

"Remember, take your time." Thorin said as he leaned a little closer, looking over Ori's shoulder.

Ori tried his best not to pay attention too much to Thorin and tried to remain focused on his aim. But having Thorin leaning so close to him, practically breathing down his neck and watching him closely, was making Ori even more nervous than before. Thankfully his hands were not shaking. However, his nerves chose to show up in a different form.

Turns out the combination of his nerves and the vise like grip he had on the handle of the slingshot was causing his hands to get all sweaty. He could feel his hold on it begin to falter regardless of how much he tightened his grip and the mitts he was wearing. Eventually it gave out completely and the slingshot slipped from his hand and went springing backwards. However, instead of hitting Ori, like it should have, the slingshot bounced back and hit Thorin square in the face!

Thorin lurched back with a short cry and clutched his face where the slingshot had hit him. Ori's eyes widened with horror and concern when he quickly realized what had just happened. "Thorin! Thorin, are you all right?!"

"Argh! See, see?" Thorin said, still holding onto his face. "What did I tell you? Deadly weapon."

* * *

Well, that was the end of that lesson. Upon returning to the camp Thorin went right to Oin to have his facial injuries looked at. Thankfully all he suffered from was a small cut and a bruise under his left eye. Ori stood by worriedly as Thorin leaned against a tree with a cold, wet clothe pressed on his injuries. The other dwarves soon heard about what happened. Fili and Kili were at first concerned for their uncle. However, once they learned the truth of the matter, their concern was replaced with amusement. Ori could see them both trying to hold back their snickers and it caused his ears to turn pink with embarrassment. Of course, Thorin was able to somber down his nephews by shooting them both a quick glare, causing them to turn and walk away.

"See? What did I say?" Dori said. "I told you it was too dangerous."

"Dori." Thorin said. "It was an accident. Accidents happen. Trial and error is what comes with learning things. Besides, Ori needs to learn how to defend himself. And this, according to you, was the safest option. Remember?"

Dori nodded then turned and left, leaving Ori and Thorin alone. Ori looked at Thorin with an apologetic look. "Thorin, I'm really, really sorry."

Thorin shook his head. "Don't be, Ori; I've had worse scars than this."

"I'm such a clumsy idiot!" Ori said.

"No, you're not." Thorin replied. "You were just nervous. I'm sure with more practice your nerves will disappear and you'll get it right." He gave Ori a smile and Ori smiled back at him a bit. "Now..." Thorin continued. "...we'll try again tomorrow. Maybe then things will be better."

Ori nodded in agreement.


	3. The Voice

-**The Voice-**

_May 3rd, year 2941 _  
_  
It's been nearly three days since my last journal entry. I'm afraid I have become too distracted by other things to really focus on writing, which is unusual for me. Anyway, so far our journey has been just as uneventful as it was the last time I wrote in here. We've been traveling East down the East road since Gandalf says it's the quickest and most sensible way to go. We just passed by the ruins of an old watchtower atop a hill the other day. Gandalf says the hill is called Weathertop. I didn't like the sight of it; it was spooky, even in daylight. _  
_In the past few days, Thorin hasn't ceased attempting to teach me how to use the slingshot. It's really a lot harder than it looks to fire that thing and I've had a few mishaps since my first day. I think I'm getting better though, I hope. Thankfully, neither Thorin nor anyone else has gotten hurt by it at all, although I did end up disrupting a flock of ravens once; I hope that doesn't bring any bad luck._  
_Even so, Thorin has been incredibly patient with me and my mistakes, which surprises me. In fact, Thorin really isn't at all like what I expected him to be like. For such a powerful and respected dwarf he seems so normal. I feel like I can talk to him and he understands me. I certainly wasn't expecting him to be so relatable. Nor was I expecting him to have so much faith in me. I'm not sure what I was expecting, honestly. It feels good to have someone believe in me but what if he ends up being wrong? I'm terrified that I won't able to do as much as he believes I can; I'm afraid I might fail._  
_I'm also curious as to why he has so much faith in me yet so little faith in Bilbo. He and I have about the same level of experience with this sort of thing so what makes the hobbit different? I'll have to ask Thorin about that._

_-Ori of Durin's Folk_

* * *

"Why do you keep on trying to teach the boy how to use that thing, Thorin?" Dwalin asked his friend.

"Because he needs something to defend himself with." Thorin answered.

"Yes, but...a slingshot?" Dwalin replied. "There are far more effective weapons he could use."

"And I'd teach him how to use all of them, if Dori wasn't so fussy about it." Thorin said.

Dwalin scoffed. "Dori has always been very protective of his brothers. He's sheltered and babied Ori his whole life and the boy has almost no experience in the outside world because of it. If you ask me, it's a waste of time and energy to even attempt to train him. At this rate it will take twice as long to train him as it will take for us to actually get to Erebor."

Thorin listened to his friend's words with a smirk, shaking his head. "You know, you really shouldn't doubt him, Dwalin. Ori is far more capable of holding his own on this quest than you give him credit for. He's certainly more capable than the hobbit is."

"True." Dwalin agreed.

"Besides, you'd be surprised with what he has accomplished so far." Thorin continued. "His skills with the slingshot have rapidly improved since we started."

"But he nearly killed you with that thing...twice." Dwalin protested.

"Only twice." Thorin pointed out. "And only little mistakes. Everyone has them. If I recall, you used to have them quite frequently when we were training."

Dwalin lowered his eyes; it has true, he did.

Thorin smirked. "Ori has not given up; he's determined to improve completely and eliminate his mistakes as much as he can. The boy certainly has that spark inside him. He is our kin after all, even if he's only related to us distantly."

"Very distantly." Dwalin added.

"Nevertheless, he still has the blood of Durin in him." Thorin said. "If you don't believe he has what it takes, come and watch our next lesson. You might be surprised."

* * *

That's exactly what Dwalin did. The next day he was standing by a tree watching Thorin instruct Ori on how improve his skills with the slingshot. If either of them had paid attention they would have seen Dwalin's subtle smile while he gazed at Ori fondly when he saw the determination on the young dwarf's face. Ori's eyebrows were knitted together and his tongue poked out from the corner of his mouth in concentration while Thorin helped him aim to hit the cups that he had been practicing with since day one.

Dwalin was not the only spectator to Ori's lesson. Nori was there as well, sitting cross-legged on a log to Ori's left as he watched his little brother aim to hit the cups that were lined up high on a tree branch not that far from Dwalin's head.

Ori wasn't fazed by having a bit of an audience. Ever since everyone found out about his "weapons training" he had many members of the company come and watch him that he had quite gotten used to having all those eyes peering at him in curiosity and, hurtfully enough, amusement.

However, for some reason Nori's presence was bothering him. He didn't know why but something about having his brother there was vexing. He couldn't quite figure out why. He tried to push it to the back of his mind and focus on his training.

"Alright, let's do it again." Thorin said.

Ori inhaled deeply through his nose then exhaled out his mouth as he placed the stone into the slingshot; he always did that to help himself concentrate and it worked, surprisingly enough. He carefully aimed the slingshot, following Thorin instructions like he always did. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Thorin take a step away from him, causing him to smile secretly to himself since he knew Thorin was taking precautions after the incident that happened their first day.

"Loosen your shoulders a bit, lad. You're too tense." Dwalin suddenly said.

Ori, Nori and Thorin all stopped and looked at the warrior in surprise at his words. Dwalin shifted uncomfortably when all their eyes were on him and he cleared his throat, turning his head away.

"Not that I care, of course." He muttered.

Ori turned to Thorin with raised eyebrows and received an amused shrug from the dwarf leader in response. Nori let out a snort at Dwalin's attempts to maintain his pride. Ori pulled the string back again and aimed the slingshot, even doing what Dwalin said and relaxing his shoulders a little more. However, he didn't relax them enough and ended up accidentally shifting to the right a bit when he released. The stone went flying and nearly hit Dwalin in the head!

"Whoa, Mahal!" Dwalin practically yelped out as he dodged out of the way when the stone bounced off of the tree right where his head had been.

Not again!

"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" Ori said frantically. He felt Thorin place his hand on his shoulder for reassurance. Dwalin kind of huffed and straightened himself out while Nori sat on the log cackling like a crow on his perch.

Ori looked at his brother with a frown. Normally he was used to people laughing at his mistakes (no matter how much he hated it) and he himself was never above laughing at his own. But now, Nori's laughter was causing his skin to crawl. Suddenly, Ori heard a voice in his head. It sounded like his own, only different. It sounded...angrier.

_"How dare he laugh at me!"_

Thorin whispered in his ear to give it another try. Ori did as he was told and placed another stone into the slingshot before pulling it back again. He tried to block out everything; the laughter, the voice, all but Thorin's instructions. However it didn't really help and no matter how hard he tried he could still hear Nori's laughter ringing in his ears even though it had ceased a moment earlier.

Something took hold of Ori. For a split second he lost control of his own actions and deliberately shifted to the left a bit as he released. The stone flew through the air and whizzed past Nori's head, a mere inch from his ear. The smile on Nori's face disappeared and he let out a yelp as he lost his balance, falling backwards off the log and onto his rear with a thud. Ori stopped when he realized what he just did.

Dwalin guffawed and fell into a fit of loud, hearty laughter at how ridiculous Nori looked. "Well, at least we know the lad's aim is definitely improving!" He said to Nori before he lost his voice to laughter again. Nori clumsily got up and glared at Dwalin with his face burning red under his beard. Oddly, Ori felt a small burst of satisfaction at his brother's embarrassment.

_"Serves him right."_

Instantly, that satisfaction was replaced with a sting of guilt. "Sorry!" Ori called to Nori apologetically. Nori gave him a halfhearted nod then sat back down on the log, only farther to the left this time.

"OK, I know the incident with Dwalin was an accident." Thorin said quietly to Ori so no one else would hear. "But did you do that one on purpose?"

"Oh-oh no, that was an accident too." Ori answered as he looked at Thorin. He tried to look innocent but his face didn't really show it. Thorin raised his eyebrows in response; he clearly didn't buy it. However, to Ori's surprise, Thorin chose to remain quiet about it.

"Would you like to stop?" Thorin asked.

"No, I want to take another whack at it." Ori said.

Thorin shrugged and nodded in assent. Ori loaded the slingshot once more and pulled the string back. Immediately both Dwalin and Nori got out of the way and scrambled to safer spots so they wouldn't get hit. Ori ignored them and focused on his targets. This time his ears were empty. Nori wasn't laughing therefore the voice in his head was silent. His vision tunneled and he focused entirely on that one cup that had been eluding him, the one he had been aiming at the last two tries.

Ori exhaled and relaxed his shoulders as Dwalin had said. After a moment that felt like a lifetime, he released the stone. It flew through the air and hit its target squarely with a loud clang. For a moment Ori wasn't sure what had happened until his ears were suddenly flooded with the loud applause and cheers of both Dwalin and Nori as Thorin gave him a proud pat on the back. Ori was surprised. Although he had hit the target once or twice before, this was the first time he had ever hit it so perfectly.

"Excellent work, Ori." Thorin said with a smile.

"Thank you, sir...er, I mean Thorin." Ori replied, smiling back.

"That's my baby brother right there!" Nori said proudly. Ori looked at Nori for a moment.

_"I'm not a child anymore! Don't call me that!"_

Ori shook his head slightly to get that angry voice to be quiet. Ori looked at Thorin. "I'd like to stop now if that is alright."

"Of course." Thorin said. "You've done enough." He moved to return to camp but Ori stopped him. "Yes, Ori, what is it?"

Ori's face burned about what he was about to say, but it was something he needed to know. "I, uh, just have a question, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind." Thorin answered. "What is your question?"

Ori's faced burned even more. "Do you, uh, do you...not like Bilbo?"

Thorin's face fell slightly and Ori's heart pounded nervously. He knew it was a bad thing to ask! Nori and Dwalin watched silently. After a moment, Thorin spoke.

"It's not that I don't like him, Ori. It's just that I don't understand Gandalf's reasons for bringing him along. The halfling has never left the Shire before and is inexperienced in the outside world. He has no idea what he is doing."

Ori tilted his head, his nerves suddenly replaced with curiosity. "I don't understand." He said. "I'm about as inexperienced as Bilbo is and yet you believe I have what it takes to hold my own out here, so much so that you're training me how to use this slingshot. How am I different from Bilbo in that sense?"

Thorin averted his eyes a bit. "It's difficult to explain."

"It's because Bilbo's not a dwarf, isn't it?" Ori said before he could stop himself. Thorin's head turned sharply and he looked at the young dwarf almost in shock. Ori's heart jumped.

_"You idiot, what did you just say?!"_

"I'm sorry, Thorin." Ori said quickly. "I shouldn't have said that."

Thorin's face softened after a moment. "It's all right." He said as he placed his hand on Ori's shoulder. "But let's not talk about this now. It's a topic for another time." Ori nodded and Thorin turned and walked back to camp with Dwalin not that far behind him. Ori just stood there for a while wringing his hands.

"I think that went well." Nori stated as he approached his little brother.

_"Don't rub it in!"_

"I'm such an idiot!" Ori said. "I just offended him, I know it!"

"Don't worry about it." Nori said. "I'm sure he'll forget about it by the end of the day." He gave Ori an encouraging nod as the two of them started walking back to camp. "By the way, good job with the slingshot, little brother. You have a gift and I'm proud of you."

_"Now he says it."_

Suddenly Nori wrapped his arm around Ori's neck and pulled him down in a mock choke hold.

"Ah! Hey, what are you doing!?" Ori shouted.

"That's what you get for nearly taking my head off, you little pipsqueak!" Nori said as he started giving Ori a noogie. "My bum's gonna be sore for days after that mistake of yours."

Ori struggled to get out of Nori's grip. Eventually Nori let go and planted a big, wet kiss on Ori's cheek before ruffling his hair and walking back to camp, laughing in amusement. Ori begrudgingly straightened his hair out and followed his brother, wiping the slobber off of his cheek in the process.

_"Why must he do that?"_

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was going to be a bit longer. I had other stuff that I wanted to add on here, mainly just Ori interacting and bonding with other members of the company (including Dwalin). However, I kept coming up with more ideas and eventually the chapter got too long so I split it up in two. Therefore, the next chapter will simply be those interactions; a filler scene. Then hopefully the story will get going after that.**

**FYI, all the sentences in italics are Ori's inner thoughts, if that wasn't obvious already. **


	4. One He Could Follow

**A/N****: **Just like the previous chapter, the sentences in Italics are Ori's inner thoughts. It will be this way for the rest of the story.

* * *

**-One He Could Follow-**

_May 4th, year 2941_

_Well, what a fine day this has been. It's bad enough that I almost killed Thorin the first time he tried to teach me how to use the slingshot but today I nearly took Mister Dwalin's head off, as well as Nori's. Although I can't say that my brother didn't deserve it. He was laughing at me. I hate it when he laughs at me; he has no right._

_I hope Mister Dwalin doesn't hate me now for almost killing him. I don't want him to hate me. I don't want him to think I'm some sort of imbecile. I want him to see me as Thorin sees me. I want him to accept me._

_No doubt Nori has told everyone about the incident today and now they're all going to start teasing me, especially those two troublemakers, Fili and Kili. They'll never let me live it down. They still haven't let the first incident with Thorin go, so no doubt they'll start teasing me about Dwalin. They're nice enough fellows sometimes but they can be a bit obnoxious, especially Kili. Fili is a little less obnoxious and he's certainly nicer than Kili is most times. Nevertheless, it would be best if I tried to avoid them both for the rest of the day, and hopefully the rest of the quest. _

_Yes, and maybe pigs will fly as well!_

_-Ori of Durin's Folk_

* * *

Ori jumped when he felt the sensation of not one but two bodies plop down on either side of him by the tree where he was seated. He looked up and was greeted by the grinning faces of a certain blonde dwarf and his dark haired younger brother. Should have known!

_"Oh no! Not them!"_

"So, Ori..." Kili said with a mischievous smile. "We heard that you actually succeeded in NOT almost killing our uncle today during your training."

"Aye," Fili said. "But apparently you almost killed your brother and Mister Dwalin as well."

Ori said nothing and lowered his eyes, pulling his journal closer to himself. They didn't mean any harm by it, he knew that. They were just teasing, like they always did. But that didn't stop his ears from turning bright red at their amusement. Even worse, his embarrassment didn't go unnoticed.

"Look, Fee," Kili said. "He's blushing."

"Not to worry, Ori." Fili said. "We're not mad at you. We're just happy that no one was killed." He gave Ori a playful nudge with his shoulder.

_"Oh, shut up! I'm trying!"_

"Yeah, me too." was all Ori said.

Suddenly, a large shadow fell over the three young dwarves. They all looked up to find Dwalin standing over them with a stern look on his face.

"In case you boys haven't noticed..." he said."...I'm alive and standing. So leave Ori alone."

Ori's jaw fell open slightly; he had not expected this! Fili and Kili quickly got up.

"We didn't mean anything by it." Fili said. "We were just teasing him a bit." Dwalin responded to that statement by crossing his arms as the lines on his face got more profound. Fili backed up slightly at the sight of it. "Right, Kee, come on, let's go!" Kili nodded and the two of them quickly departed while Dwalin's gaze followed them with the same expression.

After they had gone, Dwalin turned to Ori and the lines on his face softened a bit. "Don't listen to them, lad." he said. "You did well today. I'm impressed."

"You-you mean, you're not angry about what happened?" Ori asked.

Dwalin smiled slightly. "No. In fact, the way I see it, anyone who can almost take me out with such deadly accuracy is definitely a force to be reckoned with."

Ori sat there at a loss for words. He definitely had not expected this to happen! "Th-thank you, sir." he managed to stammer out.

"Dwalin." Dwalin said.

"Oh-oh, right, of course!" Ori said. "Sorry."

Dwalin nodded with a grunt. "Just keep that same determination and spirit of yours and you'll be able to wield a battle axe in no time."

"I-I hope so." Ori said.

"And perhaps, when your brother stops being the fussy git he is, I might be able to teach you a thing or two myself." the warrior said.

"Um, I have no p-problem with that." Ori said. "Thank you."

Dwalin gave him another nod before turning and walking away. Ori sat there for a few more moments.

"What just happened?"

* * *

"Ori! Time for supper, boy!"

Ori raised his head when he heard that annoying voice that only belonged to his brother, Dori.

_"I wish he wouldn't shout so loud! His voice is irritating enough when he's whispering!"_

He guiltily pushed that thought to the back of his mind as he placed his journal back in his bag and got up to go join the others for supper. Honestly, he loved his brothers, both of them, as much as any dwarf would. He would do anything for them; even give his life for them. Nevertheless, they sometimes tended to get under his skin, both for different reasons. Dori was always the overbearing mother hen who would fuss over every little thing Ori did. He found it irksome most times how he was always hovering, but he never really said anything about it. He hated that he was never brave enough to tell Dori how he felt so he just took it all with a silent groan. Then there was Nori...

Ori stopped when a sudden sting cut through his chest; the emotional kind, as he soon realized. He didn't understand why but it seemed that every time he would even think about Nori he got a sick feeling in his chest. And it's been happening more since the quest began. But why? He loved Nori; he looked up to him. He had no reason to think ill of his brother.

Oh wait, he did.

But he shouldn't be thinking about that now. It was in the past and far behind them. Things would be different now; they're going to change. It wouldn't happen again, right?

_"Of course it will happen again! How many times have they lied and said it wouldn't? Nori's never going to change and he doesn't care about you!"_

Ori slammed his palm against the side of his temple hard. _"Shut up!" _He muttered through gritted teeth. He then started rubbing his fingers on the red patch of skin where his palm had made contact not a moment earlier, whispering a small 'ow' in the process. Coming back to the present, he paused and stood there for a moment in confusion. Where was he going again? Oh yeah, supper.

He kept walking until he came upon the rest if the company standing around the campfire where Bombur what dishing out supper.

"Ori, where have you been, boy?" Dori said as he hastily approached his brother. Ori stopped and silently sighed as he let Dori fuss over him. "Look at you. You're filthy!" Dori said as he licked his thumb and started wiping away some small barely noticeable smudge of dirt off the younger's cheek. Ori said nothing and just squished his face up in response. Just then there came a chuckle; that familiar chuckle that sent the sting through Ori's chest again.

"By Mahal's beard, leave the boy alone, Dori!" Nori said as he approached his brothers and swatted Dori's hand away from Ori's face. "Why do you always have to baby him like that? Let him breathe, will ya?"

"Well, somebody has to be the mature one and look after things, since clearly you won't." Dori countered.

_"Oh no, here they go again!"_

"At least I'm not an uptight old Billy-goat like you!" Nori snapped.

"You take that back, you immature little mutt!" Dori practically yelled.

"Please, just stop!" Ori suddenly burst out. Both of the elder brothers turned and looked at the younger with surprised looks on their faces. Ori's own face burned at having both his brothers' eyes on him. "I-I'm hungry." he said, his voice coming out much higher than he wanted. "I just want to go eat."

_"Anything to get you two to stop fighting."_

Dori and Nori were silent for a moment before Dori spoke. "Alright, Bombur's over there." He pointed to where Bombur was dishing out stew, his voice soft, almost consoling, which Ori recognized as his way of trying to soothe him when he thinks he's hurt in some way.

Ori quickly turned and hastily made his way towards where Bombur was. However, behind him he could still hear the fading sound of his brothers bickering.

"Now look what you did," Dori said. "You've gone and upset the poor lad!"

"Oh, don't go blaming me!" Nori retorted.

Ori didn't hear anything else as he blocked them both out and kept moving towards Bombur.

"Hello there, Ori!" the large dwarf greeted cheerfully.

Ori smiled at his greeting. He always liked Bombur. He and his brother (and even his cousin sometimes) were among the friendliest dwarves in the company. They didn't care who you were, they just loved making friends and having a good time. They didn't even hesitate to accept the halfling into the company. Ori always found it easier to talk when he was around them. They made him feel so relaxed and free to be open. He also felt a bit of a connection with Bombur since, like himself, he had little experience in the outside world. Perhaps he, Bombur and Mister Baggins should form some sort of club.

Plus, he made pretty mean stew.

"You look hungry, lad." Bombur said. "Here, have something to eat!" Before Ori could say anything Bombur had already heaped a large ladle full of stew into a wooden bowl and handed it to him. "We've got to put some meat on those bones of yours."

Ori's ears turned slightly pink. However, he wasn't all that embarrassed by Bombur's comment. "I aspire to be as you are, Bombur." he replied.

Bombur let out a hearty laugh. "A worthy goal indeed!" he said, patting his large belly.

Ori smiled. "Thank you." he said as he turned to depart with the stew.

"Hold up, lad." he heard Bombur say. Ori turned back to him and raised an inquiring eyebrow. Bombur was pouring stew into another bowl with his ladle before handing it to Ori. "Do me a favor and give this to the hobbit."

Ori nodded and took the second bowl from Bombur before turning and leaving. He saw the halfling sitting by a tree very far from the rest of the company and looking out at the horizon. Ori's steps slowed a bit as he got closer to the hobbit. Even when he finally found himself standing less than five feet from him, the hobbit still didn't seem to notice him, so Ori cleared his throat. Mister Baggins turned and looked up at him, seemingly startled by him.

"Sorry," Ori said. "But, um, Bombur told me to give this to you." He handed the bowl to him.

"O-oh, yes, thank you," the hobbit said, taking the bowl from him. "Ori, is it?" Ori nodded. "Forgive me. I haven't quite learned all your names yet."

"I-it probably doesn't help that much that some of our names rhyme, does it?" Ori said.

Mister Baggins laughed awkwardly. "I remember you, though. Thank you for not dropping my dishes back at Bag-end."

"Oh, you're welcome." Ori said. The halfling smiled awkwardly then turned to his bowl of stew. Ori shifted a bit on his feet before turning to leave. He only took a few steps before being stopped by a nagging feeling in the pit of his chest. It didn't feel right, just walking away like this.

_"Don't just stand there, you twit! Go back and talk to him!"_

Heeding the voice, Ori turned on his heels and walked back to the hobbit, who raised his head and looked at the young dwarf in surprise at seeing him come back.

"Actually," Ori said. "If it's alright, I'd like to stay here and eat with you."

The hobbit frowned. "Why?"

"Because if I don't I'll have to sit with Dori, my brother," Ori answered. "And just this once I'd rather not do that."

_"Especially not after that fight."_

The hobbit didn't seem to know what to say to that. For a moment Ori felt worried about being turned away. Fortunately he wasn't as the hobbit wordlessly motioned for him to sit down. Ori sat down in front of Mister Baggins and placed his bowl of stew on his lap. The hobbit smiled awkwardly then continued to eat his stew. Ori sat there silently, suddenly realizing that after all that he had no idea what to say to the hobbit. He quietly ate his stew, feeling the awkward silence tighten around them both.

"I-I hope I'm not being a bother to you for sitting here, sir." he said, finally managing to push himself to say something.

"Oh no, not at all," the hobbit replied. "And Bilbo is just fine, thank you."

"Alright, Bilbo." Ori said.

_"No one likes being called sir in this company, do they?"_

"Usually I'm a very social hobbit," Bilbo said. "I don't often isolate myself like this. But I'm also not used to spending time with dwarves, let alone travelling with them."

"Hopefully you'll get used to us soon." Ori said.

"I've gotten used to some of you already." Bilbo said. "Balin being one. Such a fine old chap he is too. Then there's Bombur and Bofur, of course."

Ori smiled. "Yes, they are wonderful."

"Fili and Kili have been alright, too."

Ori shrugged. "I guess so."

"Then there's you, of course." Bilbo said with a smile. Ori smiled back. "As for the others, I'm not sure about them. I don't think they like me, Thorin especially."

"He's not so bad, once you get used to him." Ori said. "I'm sure he'll warm up to you soon."

Bilbo looked at him for a moment. "Tell me something, Ori. How old are you?" Ori looked up at Bilbo surprised. "Pardon me for saying this but you seem a bit young. What is your age?"

"Seventy-one years." Ori answered.

"And that's young for a dwarf, I take it."

Ori lowered his eyes. "Yes, I'm the youngest one. Younger than Fili and Kili, even. That's why I didn't want to sit with Dori because he's always treating me like a child, which I kind of still am. I don't like being treated like one though."

Bilbo smiled slightly. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm younger than you." Ori looked at him with a curious frown. "I'm fifty."

Ori's eyebrows shot up. "You are?" Bilbo nodded. "You don't look that young."

Bilbo raised his eyebrows and Ori immediately realized what he just said. He clapped his hand over his mouth before burying his face in his palms.

_"Oh, just shut up, will you!?"_

"I'm sorry." Ori said. "I tend to put my foot in my mouth sometimes. Feel free to mock me if you like."

There was a silence before Ori looked up and was surprised to see that Bilbo didn't look offended (maybe only slightly), he was actually smiling.

"It's perfectly alright." Bilbo said. "One just has to bear in mind that hobbits age differently than dwarves do."

"I've never met a hobbit before," Ori said. "So I don't know that much about them."

"Well, I don't know that much about dwarves either," Bilbo said. "So you're not alone."

Ori nodded. "I guess it's a good thing that we have plenty of time to learn more about each other, then."

Bilbo laughed lightly. "Yes, plenty of time indeed. And I must say..." he said, suddenly extending his hand to Ori. "...I look forward to learning more about you, Master Ori."

Master Ori. It felt strange to hear someone call him that. Nevertheless, he liked the way it sounded. He took Bilbo's hand and shook it. "And I look forward to learning more about you, Bilbo Baggins."

The two of them smiled at each other then went back to eating their meal in silence. Only this time, it wasn't nearly as awkward as it was before.

~Later~

Ori sat bolt upright when a bone-chilling scream ripped through the chilly night air, yanking him rudely from his state in between sleep and consciousness. His sudden movements didn't hesitate to wake Dori, who was lying next to him with his arms wrapped tightly and protectively around his little brother, as they always were. Dori too sat up and looked at Ori worriedly. Clearly, he heard the scream too.

"What was that?" Ori asked. Before Dori could answer, his question was repeated by Bilbo who he saw approaching the campfire where Fili and Kili were sitting.

"Orcs." Kili said. Another scream sounded, causing Ori to look around with wide eyes. He felt Dori's arms wrap tighter around him.

"Throat-cutters." Fili replied casually. "There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them."

"They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep." Kili said. "Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood."

"There's nothing to be afraid of." Dori whispered to Ori. A moment later the two Durin princes looked at each other and laughed, revealing their joking.

"I'm not afraid." Ori said to Dori. In truth, he was afraid. But he wasn't about to tell Dori that.

"You think that's funny?" Thorin said sternly, clearly not happy with his nephews. "You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"

"We didn't mean anything by it." Kili said, his smile fading as he lowered his eyes apologetically.

"No, you didn't." Thorin said. "You know nothing of the world." Ori watched Thorin as he walked away from the company and stood at the edge of the cliff, looking out into the night.

"Don't mind him, laddie." Balin said as he approached the two Durin princes. "Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs."

Ori turned and looked back at Thorin, eyes entirely on him as Balin spoke.

"After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain," Balin went on. "King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy got there first! Moria had been taken by legions of orcs lead by the most vile of their race; Azog the Defiler. The giant Gundabad orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the king!"

Ori shuddered so hard it almost rattled his entire body. He continued to look at Thorin, trying to imagine what it was like for him to have his grandfather die in such a gruesome way. The fear he must have felt; the anger, the grief. He couldn't even imagine it, and quite honestly he didn't want to. To have someone you love die in such a manner...just horrible!

"Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief." Balin continued "He went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we do not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us." Balin paused for a moment, an admiring expression suddenly crossing his face. "That was when I saw him: a young dwarf prince facing down the pale orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe, his armor rent...wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. He held his ground, yet he was still overpowered."

"I remember this." Dwalin suddenly interjected. "Thorin fought hard, but with every passing moment his strength weakened. Then, just as he was about to give in, Dain, his cousin, came to his aid. I know; I was there, I saw it. They fought side-by-side against the Defiler, as true warriors would. It was Dain who gave Thorin the advantage, disarming the pale orc by cutting his hand off clean at the wrist. As the wounded orc fell to his knees with a cry, Thorin took off his head with one swift swipe of his blade. Azog the Defiler was defeated!"

"Aye," Balin said. "he was. And it seemed that victory was ours. Unfortunately, it wasn't over yet. There was another orc present who witnessed the death of the Defiler. His name was Bolg, the son of Azog himself. He was also there, fighting at the gates of Moria. He saw his father's death at Thorin's hand, and as Thorin himself had done before for Thror, he sought revenge. Enraged, he attacked his father's conqueror, knocking Dain out in the process and leaving Thorin to face him alone. Although Bolg was a young orc at the time (hardly an adult), he matched his father in size and strength. A foe just as deadly as the first."

The grave tone in Balin's voice suddenly started to soften a bit.

"Yet, by Mahal's grace," he continued. "Thorin fought with renewed strength and came out on top. Bolg learned that day, as Azog had, that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, no song, that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few, along with Dain, had survived."

He paused and looked in Thorin's direction, that same admiring look crossing his face again.

"And I thought to myself, there was one I could follow. There was one I could call king."

Ori looked at Thorin in complete awe as he turned around and looked at him and the others who were standing around the fire watching him with the same awe-filled expressions as the young scribe wore.

"What about Bolg?" Bilbo suddenly asked. "What happened to him?"

"I'll tell you what happened to him," Thorin said. "He's dead. I slew him myself. Ran my blade right through his stomach and he fell dead at my feet. I watched as the other orcs dragged his and Azog's corpses back into Moria. Buried deep in the darkest, most forgotten pits of this earth, that's where Azog and his vile spawn lay."

Ori continued to watch Thorin with his eyes still wide with awe and bewilderment. He hardly heard Dori when he told him to go back to sleep as everyone else began to retire for the night. His mind was reeling with everything he had just heard. Thorin, their leader, had defeated both the pale orc and his son in the same battle, within minutes of one another! Thorin, the same dwarf who laughed with him, spent time with him and treated him as an equal; the same dwarf who believed in him. Ori knew that Dori always said never to put people on pedestals but it was hard for him not to do it with Thorin. Thorin was someone he could definitely get behind and look up to.

Like Balin, Ori knew that Thorin was someone that he could follow, even to the ends of the earth!

* * *

**A/N****: **You may have noticed that the scene about the battle of Azanulbizar was a blending of book and movie canon. Well, the rest of the story will be like that. So if you haven't read the book and you don't recognize some of things that are shown, there's a good chance that they are from the book.

Also, after reading about Bolg and Azog's deaths in the battle you're probably wondering who the antagonist is going to be.

Well, if you've read the book you already know who will lead the legion during the battle of the five armies.

If you haven't read the book, here's a hint: one survived, the other did not. If you were paying attention to Balin's story the answer should be obvious.


End file.
